Oil prices fell slightly from a three-month high above $82 a barrel Wednesday in Asia after a report showed U.S. crude inventories fell less than expected last week, suggesting demand in the U.S. remains sluggish.

Brent crude slid below US$100 a barrel on Monday for the first time in 14 months as Chinese and U.S. data pointed to slower-than-expected growth in the world’s top oil consumers.
Weak economic growth combined with ample supply has pushed oil prices down from a high for the year above US$115 hit in June, complicating efforts by central banks to ward off deflation and putting pressure on the budgets of major oil producers.